Gathering for Advent & AIDS Awareness

Sunday, December 2, 5:30 pm
618 Locust

World AIDS Awareness


World AIDS Day, observed on 1 December each year, is an important opportunity when governments, national AIDS programs, faith organizations, community organizations, and individuals around the world bring attention to the global HIV/ AIDS epidemic and emphasize the critical need for a committed, meaningful and sustained response.

With the help of Ann and Valerie, we will observe AIDS Awareness Day this Sunday, which is also the first Sunday of Advent; this is appropriate because Advent is a season of hope and expectation set amidst the poverty, violence and injustice of the world. Since AIDS was identified in the early 1980s, the joy of Advent has contrasted sharply with the suffering of millions of people, families, and communities at the hands of this disease. Yet AIDS and Advent both emphasize hope and the transformative power of love.

We will focus on this hope and the transformative power of love when we gather for worship Sunday night, 2 December, 5:30 pm. Our offering will be designated for the UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns. We will also continue to collect cans of chili for the Christmas food box effort. So far we've collected 52 cans of chili and $150 towards the effort, so we still have a ways to go to reach our goal of 260.

In honor of our chili collection effort, our potluck dinner is a chili cook-off.

Chili Cook-Off
 
There's no reason to head to Terlingua when you can enjoy (and participate in) a world class chili cook-off right here in San Angelo!  Yep, that's right - The Gathering's Sunday night pot-luck is a chili cook-off.  The inspiration?  the fact that we're collecting at least 260 cans of chili for the St. Paul Christmas food box effort. 

You're welcome to bring and heat up cans of chili, or you can be so bold as to make your own.  All categories - with beans, without beans, vegetarian, chicken, one pepper, two pepper, three pepper, YIKES MY MOUTH IS ON FIRE! - are welcome.  Also welcome are chili accoutrements - cheese, onions, fritos, chips, spoons, fire extinguishers, and whatever else is necessary for good chili eating (like chocolate).

Good luck to all you chili aficionados (and eaters).